In the middle of a global recession, Kenya's Equity Bank is booming. Microloans as small as $10 are helping the country's budding business people. Can Wall Street learn a lesson from these rural entrepreneurs?

Many people in Zambia don't consume enough vitamin A, which leads to blindness, infant mortality, and a host of other health problems. However, the Zambian government has initiated programs to ensure its people receive the nutrition they so desperately need.

Over a million Rwandans died in the terrible genocide that swept the country in 1994. With peace restored, the government faced the problem of truth and reconciliation. With hundreds of thousands implicated in the slaughter, the justice system was in paralysis. But by 2005 Rwanda had found a homegrown answer to their problem: the traditional gacaca court.

A strange sight appears amidst the violence and poverty of Kabul: girls and boys gliding through the war-torn city on flat boards with wheels on the bottom, their shoes seemingly glued to the surface. But even more unusual than the sight of Afghan teenage skateboarders is the expression on their faces. They're smiling.

When war broke out in southern Sudan, Valentino Deng and thousands of other children fled the fighting that killed many of their families. A lucky few, Valentino included, made it to the United States. Valentino teamed up with Dave Eggers to tell the world the story of the Lost Boys, a story that continues to be written as Valentino carves out a new future for the children of South Sudan.

With walls made of bottles and a roof of bamboo, Luiz and Edna's house cost a fraction of a normal building. And now an ecologically sustainable village is on the drawing board. Could this be an alternative to Brazil's dilapidated favelas?

It's more than eight years since the Taliban ruled Herat but, for many women here, life has barely changed, with forced marriage, domestic violence, and rape still commonplace. Now a fledgling women's rights movement is determined to change that legacy.

Every year, thousands of children travel to Casablanca from far-flung shantytowns. Living rough, many fall prey to sexual exploitation and cruelty. It is a problem the government prefers to ignore, but there are some local people brave enough to stand up and make a difference.

Sampat Pal is a campaigner with a mission: to ensure that those born into the lowest caste have an education, avoid child marriages, and earn a decent wage. But, while Mahatma Gandhi famously preached non-violence, Pal believes that India's long history of patriarchy, abuse, and corruption demands a new style of justice.

Can risk management techniques from global financial markets help people in the developing world avoid the worst effects of famine? The World Food Programme's new director of business planning thinks this approach could revolutionize the aid industry.

People from wealthy industrialized nations see flip-flops as cheap and disposable. But in Kenya, much-loved "pata-patas" are repaired, reused, and recycled—but never wasted. The film follows the long life cycle of this colorful footwear, a story full of resourcefulness, enterprise, and creativity.

It's cheap, in plentiful supply, doesn't destroy the ozone layer, and smells great. The people of Bougainville have found their own solution to the energy crisis: it's the humble coconut tree. Reporter Steve Marshall met up with German emigrant Matthias Horn who established a "coconut refinery" several years ago, and now produces an oil that can replace diesel.

Bangladesh is one of the poorest nations on the planet: half of its population lives on less than a dollar a day. But in the tiny semi-rural village of Dholla, microfinance loans from the Grameen Bank are empowering locals to create thriving small businesses.

J.S Parthibhan is a bank manager with a difference: he's interested in people, not numbers. Through micro loans, he's helping villagers in rural areas develop a sense of entrepreneurship and self-respect.

Since 2001, all Indian primary schools have provided pupils with a free midday meal. Since then, truancy rates have been slashed and child health is soaring. Western governments are beginning to take note.